Cross Breeds

this is about the maltese puppies?

I have wanted a maltese puppy for a long time......does any one know anything about them.. how hard r they to take care of .......plz tell me all you know about the maltese puppies thnks so very much ....plz email me what you know about them at bay_dillon@yahoo.com thx bailey

Public Comments

1. Hi Bailey, First, you don't need to put your email address with your question. Your question will be answered in a different format. I owned a Maltese for 15 1/2 years. The day that she died was one of the saddest of my life. So, I think I can answer your question... Maltese are easy to love, easy to train (if you work at it) and they are quite loving and want to please. The only problem with a Maltese is the fur. It just grows and grows. It must be brushed every day, and the dog will need a bath each week. You may also need to have the dog professionally groomed on occasion. I would suggest that you keep your dog's hair cut into a "puppy cut". They are quite small, and you will need to watch out when they meet new people, especially children, so they aren't too rough and hurt your dog. Good luck with your new puppy.
2. maltese require constant grooming and are not for someone that doesnt have at least 30 minutes a day to devote to brushing and caring for their coats. also, they're hard to housebreak (as are most small breeds) because they cannot hold their bladders and they're very independent thinkers. this breed is also prone to eye and ear problems due to poor breeding and puppymillers. if you do decide on this breed only buy from an AKC regcognized breeder (use the AKC breeder referal list on their website) and make sure all of the parent dogs are health tested and your puppy comes with a genetic health guarantee. maltese are also prone to stomach and digestive upset and allergies. they need quality food (innova, canidae, orijen, etc..) nothing from the supermarket or low end pet stores. stay away from iams, science diet, eukanuba, purina, pedigree, or anything else from big chain stores. they're not good with small children or small furry animals. they're too small to tolerate younger children that like to play rough. they can get nippy with strangers if not properly socialized from a young age
3. you should read some books about the maltese for you to be prepared and know everything you can learn. http://www.barronseduc.com/0764128507.html The diminutive and appealing Maltese is noted for its silky, floor-length white coat, which requires frequent grooming. start reading!
4. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/maltese.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_(dog) http://www.akc.org/breeds/maltese/index.cfm please please please know that these dogs have wonderful white coats, and you usually see pictures of them with long flowing hair, that is a SHOW coat. a pet coat is usually shorter. it takes HOURS of grooming and $$$$ to make a dog look that amazing. show dog coat- http://www.puppysites.com/deluxe/cambea_maltese.jpg http://www.allsmalldogbreeds.com/images/smalldogbreeds/maltese.jpg pet coat- http://foxvalleyfarmpuppies.com/Maltese.jpeg http://www.islandgazette.net/photo/pictures/images4-6-2005/Page-1B-Pet-of-Week.jpg They are gentle, loving, loyal, playful and lively little dogs. they are great companion dogs. they can get snippy w/children that do not respect it's space. they are a bit stubborn to potty train. sometimes they can be a bit picky about what food they like or dislike. proper socialization is a MUST w/other ppl because they can tend to become overprotective of their humans and can become jealous or snippy w/ppl they dont know hogging attention w/their ppl. they CAN get sunburned if they have exposed skin through their coat (the show coat is parted..that is where the sunburn occurs). they are okay apartment dogs, and do alright w/out a yard, but need walks DAILY! they need weekly grooming or they can develop matted hair and that can cause sores on the skin, infections and pain.
5. I have a male Maltese. He was 3 years old on April 4 and he's been with my family since he was 8 weeks old. To be honest, Archie is wonderful!!!!. My family and I have found him to be a most good-natured, loving dog that always pours energetic, unconditional love on everyone he meets. My maltese has never been fearful of strangers though he does bark when our outside dogs bark or he sees cars passing the house. He is loving and playful with all members of our family almost equally. For whatever reason, he does tend to prefer to stay by my side during quiet TV time or sleeping at night. He is alone during the day when we are at work and school. He freely roams the house and I honestly cannot remember him ever chewing or destroying anything that did not belong to him. One thing that I do that alot of people think is stupid is that I havw never housebroke Archie. One reason, I'm lazy and don't want to get up early in the morning. So, Archie wears a diaper. I just have a problem expecting a dog to hold his pee all day long and I sure don't want my house to smell like pee. Another issue is grooming. A positive thing is that Maltese's do not shed. That's the honest truth. However, they do need to be combed several times a week. I keep my dog's hair trimmed to about 2-3 inches. Remember, the longer the hair, the more time you will spend grooming. It is essential that you keep the hair combed to avoid knots. One more grooming issue. Maltese, as well as some other breeds, always have tear stains (red gunk) under their eyes. If you wash around their eyes daily with a warm wash cloth, comb the hair with a small comb, and keep the hair around the eyes trimmed very short, you will be able to keep it under control. If you do decide on a Maltese, I know that if you take care of it and love it, you will receive 100x whatever you give, in return.